Hela, Jiwaka bid explained

PARLIAMENT has passed amendments to the Hela and Jiwaka Bill for the transitional authority to continue until around September next year when provincial administrators are appointed for the two new provinces.
Minister for Provincial Affairs Mark Maipakai introduced the amendments to section 26 of the Hela and Jiwaka Transitional Authorities Act to ensure all legislative and administrative framework are in place for the new provinces.
The amendment will mean that the chief executive officer and administration staff operating under the Transitional Authority Act will remain until the national government appoints a provincial administrator.
Maipakai said the technical amendment to the act was required as the new provinces and their administration were expected to start immediately before the writs were issued for the next general election on April 27 next year.
He said according to the Transitional Authority Act, on that date all assets and liabilities transfer to the new provincial government and the CEO and all the staff of the authority would cease employment with the authority.
“However, it is most likely that a new provincial administrator and staff will not be in place until after September 2012,” he said.
He said this would leave a period from April to September, where there would be no staff to continue to oversee the transition of the authority to the provincial administration.
“In order to ensure a smooth transition from an authority to a provincial administration, the amendment is done so that the CEO and staff of the authority remain until the provincial administrator is appointed.”
He said a new subsection in the amendment provided that the staff of the authority would transfer to the new provincial administration on their same terms and conditions until the provincial administrator terminated their employment.